Last Stand
by Rinter215
Summary: Written in memory of Operation Gothic Serpent 14 years ago on Oct 3 1993.


**I started this story a year ago, but I kept it off the grid since it is a very real event and not something to be glorifying about. Thee guys are the very reason I joined in 2012, and yes I was one of those eager gung ho guys who wanted justice, but I am now 24 and having seen the horrors of war, I realize how much pain we go though to even speak of these incidents. I did this story on the 14th anniversary to honor and remember these guys. I know many will see this as negative but I really don't care. We all have our ways of sharing tragic stories. This is mine.**

 **Jaune and Ren are my two favorite and after I watched BHD months before I started writing A friend asked a strange question if RT would do a similar scene as this in RWBY. I quickly said no, but the thought remain to the point where I decided to write it down.**

 **Please keep the political and unnecessary reviews at a minimum. I just ask for you to remember these guys. Thank you.**

 **To the brave Rangers and Operators, Thank you for standing your ground in the face of a unstoppable enemy.**

 **Rinter215:** **Private First Class, U.S Army, 3rd Infantry Division. _Rock of the Marne_**

* * *

It took a while for me to understand the very basis of a last stand.

Then again, I always considered heroes and legends real with numerous tales and the whole jazz.

The names Jaune Arc. Short, sweet, rolls off the tongue ladies love it...or that's what my dick of a father said. everything he said about being a man was bullshit. Come to find out he was a horn-dog here at Beacon and flirted endlessly with every single woman he met, including the notorious Glynda Goodwitch. Luckily, the now headmistress who was a great babysitter as well, made it very clear that she was not interested and he backed off.

I am getting off track. So, how did I lose my friends, well. Simple. My team, JNPR was sent on a joint mission with our fellow sister team RWBY. Our mission was supposed to be easy: Sweep and clear all Grimm from the area. Apparently the Intel was bad enough because we were facing more than a small party. We fucking came across an entire horde of them.

I began to think of a means of putting our combined force into a defensive formation when Ruby urged everyone barred me, to go on the offensive.

Long story short: I was literally on my own in the fight when that plan hit the fan 12 seconds after it was initiated.

Upon retreating and returning to Beacon as fast as possible. I was subjected to the mother of all rants. Yang, Nora, Pyrrha, Weiss, Blake, even Glynda and Ozpin were disappointed of my lack of participation. I informed them that I had come up with a plan but I was too late in executing it when our force decided to go "Balls to the wall" as my sister would say.

Nevertheless...my words fell upon deaf ears and I lost my position as team leader and I lost my friends.

Maybe they were correct, maybe I was in the wrong, but I don't feel that way. Well it doesn't matter now. Despite not being expelled. I packed my bags and began to charter a flight out of beacon. It's funny I had not only stolen Crocea Mors from my family, but I also had taken my late uncle's weapons too. A rifle that he made and strangely called an M4A1. I used to call it the Hades Mors, but after a while, the name did not stick and I went back to the M4 name. I also had another called an M14. That rifle fired a bigger more powerful round that could not only penetrate aura, but literally rip the target to shreds.

Last but not least I had two pistols my uncle named Beretta M9A2s. no idea, but they were fun to shoot despite having a bit of weight.

I finished packing when Ren came in. We stared at each other, before he spoke. The team were going out on another mission and Ren was to stay behind and watch me. Sighing, I lowered my bags and had a clear conversation with him. Hour later, we came to a compromise. Ren would be lenient on me and allow me to leave if I spilled out everything. So I did. My transcripts, my lack of support from my family, my urge to be a hero like my family and how it all came down after the last mission.

Ren smiled and forgave me after. He said he wasn't going to speak for every one else, but at least he was willing to look past my mistakes...

I left the room and fell asleep on the roof.

* * *

I woke up to alarms blaring.

I went out and looked around to see huntsman and huntresses running toward the docks when I decided to join. I donned my uncles old gear. A uniform of the Great War, which had a weird desert looking design on it. My uncle called it Tri-Desert. I also donned a black chest kit with an olive green rig on it before putting on a black para-jumper helmet on. Lacing my boots, I holstered my Beretta and loaded the M4 before moving out. I saw only one Bullhead standing by and I got on. Then I saw Ren there too.

Ren was dressed like me as well for some reason. He sported the M14 and the Beretta as well. His excuse: Stormflower malfunctioned and he saw my box that was opened when I went to change into my gear. He snagged the other kit and suited up.

I raised my eyebrow at the explanation but the screams were enough to get us rolling.

Half an hour later, we got a report that a bull head went down not by grimm but by a rocket hit. there were no teams nearby and a very hostile crowd was incoming. I looked at Ren and we both came to a conclusion. We were the only ones nearby and therefore we were not going to leave anyone behind.

The bullhead set down on the outlying fields near the crash site and Ren and I sprinted toward the down bird. As we neared I saw the bullhead already under attack and I fired two shots, killing a hostile trying to get to one of the pilots.

I ran toward the pilot while Ren went to check the others. I slapped my hand on the armor of the bullhead to grab the attention of the pilot. "Friendly!"

The pilot looked at me and breathed a sigh of relief. "Oum its good to see you."

I kept firing as I spoke. "It's good to see you! How bad?"

"Leg's broken, and my back feels kinda weird." The pilot replied. I put away my M4 as I reached in to grab him. "We gotta get you outta here buddy!"

As I was doing so, I screamed toward Ren. "Pulling him out! Cover!"

Ren did so as he fired killing two other hostiles trying to aim toward us.

The pilot screamed in pain as I carried him was into a building.

Ren ran in as I came out to cover. I could hear Ren telling the bullhead above that we were securing the perimeter. Ren reloaded the pilots weapon and came to secure one side of the bullhead while I set out to fight the oncoming crowd within.

* * *

Half hour later there was still no one coming. Huntsman teams were mopping up everywhere but no one thought to aid me and Ren.

"Loading!" I screamed. The crowd was much bigger and more aggressive than ever. Rounds were slamming around me as I reloaded another magazine into my rifle. Turning to my side I saw two people charging me. Reacting quickly I pulled my M9 and fired my entire magazine into them, before returning to my rifle. Ren was reloading as well when I returned fire toward the crowd. most were throwing rocks so I avoided shooting them, focusing my attention toward the ones actually shooting at us. I fired as precisely as I could, reloading again and again as the crowd continue to edge closer.

Suddenly, I heard on my radio. The down bullhead was deemed a complete loss and all huntsman were to fallback. Breaking radio silence, I informed them that we had no where to go. The response: Find a way.

I looked at Ren and he was shocked but the rounds hitting around brought back the fight and we continued.

Then we heard RWBY and (J)NP(R) were on their way. Despite a little anger because their rant earlier, I smiled. Better to be yelled at again, than to be dead. We continued to wait and hold the perimeter. We continued to do our job.

Then...

We went black on additional ammunition. I looked at my last magazine holding my last 30 rounds of 5.56 Aura piercing rounds I screamed "Ren, Last Mag!" I looked into my scope when I felt something hit me on my helmet. I then felt something trickle down as I lost all feeling in my entire body. My mind went numb and I began to lose my consciousnesses. The last thing I heard was Ren calling my name. I closed my eyes, and I did not open them again.

* * *

Ren would go down ten minutes later. riddled with holes. The pilot would be captured and held captive for 11 days before the Valean council paid his ransom fee.

Team RWBY and NP arrived on scene four hours later. They were only three hours and thirty minutes late.

There was no words to describe the assault. I could only wish and say we knew who we were fighting or why it took so long for the teams to arrive. but I can't. I can't say anything other than this.

I did my job. I did everything in my power to save that pilot, I would do it again should I had survived.

I don't know what RWBY or Nora or Pyrrha are doing but I hope they are alright. I hope they moved on.

Was I wrong in the beginning or was I right in doing this?

The choice is yours to decide.

* * *

 ** _R.I.P_**

 ** _October 3 1993- Mogadishu, Somalia_**

 **Operators of the 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta**

 **MSG Gary Ivan Gordon** 33 Killed defending _Super Six-Four_ 's crew Medal of Honor, Purple Heart

 **SFC Randy Shughart** 35 Killed defending _Super Six-Four_ 's crew Medal of Honor, Purple Heart

 **SSG Daniel D. Busch** 25 Crashed on _Super Six-One_ , mortally wounded defending the downed crew Silver Star, Purple Heart

 **SFC Earl Robert Fillmore, Jr.** 28 Killed moving to the first crash site Silver Star, Purple Heart

 **MSG Timothy "Griz" Lynn Martin** 38 Mortally wounded by an RPG on the Lost Convoy, died while en route to a field hospital in Germany Silver Star, Purple Heart.

 **SFC Matthew Loren Rierson** 33 Killed by stray mortar shell that landed near him Oct. 6, 2 days after the initial raid

 **Soldiers of the 3rd Ranger Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment**

 **CPL James "Jamie" E. Smith** 21 Killed around crash site one Bronze Star Medal with Valor Device and Oak leaf cluster,  
Purple Heart

 **SPC James M. Cavaco** 26 Killed on the Lost Convoy Bronze Star with Valor Device, Purple Heart

 **SGT James Casey Joyce** 24 Killed on the Lost Convoy Bronze Star with Valor Device, Purple Heart

 **CPL Richard "Alphabet" W. Kowalewski, Jr.** 20 Killed on the Lost Convoy by an RPG Bronze Star with Valor Device, Purple Heart

 **SGT Dominick M. Pilla** 21 Killed on Struecker's convoy Bronze Star with Valor Device, Purple Heart

 **SGT Lorenzo M. Ruiz** 27 Mortally wounded on the Lost Convoy, died en route to a field hospital in Germany Bronze Star with Valor Device, Purple Heart

 **Pilots and Crew of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment**

 **SSG William "Wild Bill" David Cleveland, Jr.** 34 Crew chief on _Super Six-Four_ , killed Silver Star, Bronze Star, Air Medal with Valor Device, Purple Heart

 **SSG Thomas "Tommie" J. Field** 25 Crew chief on _Super Six-Four_ , killed Silver Star, Bronze Star, Air Medal with Valor Device, Purple Heart

 **CW4 Raymond "Ironman" Alex Frank** 45 _Super Six-Four_ 's copilot, killed Silver Star, Air Medal with Valor Device, Purple Heart

 **CW3 Clifton "Elvis" P. Wolcott** 36 _Super Six-One_ 's pilot, died in crash Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star, Air Medal with Valor Device, Purple Heart

 **CW3 Donovan "Bull" Lee Briley** 33 _Super Six-One_ 's copilot, died in crash Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star, Air Medal with Valor Device, Purple Heart

 **Soldiers of the 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 10th Mountain Division**

 **SGT Cornell Lemont Houston, Sr.** 1st Platoon, C Company, 41st Engr BN 31 Member of the "Lost Platoon". Wounded by shrapnel from an RPG whilst recovering a severely wounded Malaysian soldier on the rescue convoy. Also shot in the leg and chest. Died of wounds at Landstuhl Army Regional Medical Center. Bronze Star with Valor Device,  
de Fleury Medal, Purple Heart

 **PFC James Henry Martin, Jr.** 23 Member of 2d Squad, 2d Platoon, Company A. Killed on the rescue convoy by a gunshot to the head.


End file.
